M39: Sabine Ortland (Hamburg, Germany)

I'll admit that when I lived in Hamburg, I was guilty of shopping mainly in the downtown area filled with high street stores and luxury boutiques - all of which I usually passed during my daily commute to and from work. This means I painfully neglected the Karolinenviertel, filled with streets full of vintage shops and retail outlets belonging to independent designers. My friend V. had a similar shopping habit, so it was with much determination, we decided to head to this neighborhood to find something more unique and less mass produced.

left: M39 homepage, right: image brochure

The first store that got our attention was M39, a name derived from the shop's address. While the exterior didn't really look that spectacular, the windows were filled with so many cute items, we just couldn't resist going in. The shop is owned by local designer Sabine Ortland who has gained a fair amount of popularity in the last few years with her hand-made clothing and accessories. Though she has other select retail locations throughout Germany now, M39 is what you could call the headquarter and also houses the designer's workshop. According to press releases everyone from German pop legend Nena to Courtney Love has graced this tiny store with their presence at some point, but despite the fact that this boutique is no longer an insider secret, it definitely still holds its charm.

Ortland first opened M39 in 1997 but began designing before that, mainly as a hobby. Even though her collections include women's clothing, such as dresses, skirts, tops and trousers, her signature pieces are actually slightly smaller. One of the first items she created were adorable knitted arm or hand warmers in various colors, some with additional applique touches. I never thought about getting any, but when I saw these, I had the sudden urge to stock up on them.

My other favorite pieces included patterned scarves made from jersey material or wool. They were lined and just like the arm warmers, they came with details such as lace embroidery or intricate stitching. I spotted some thinner scarves and found out these could in fact be used as collars, ties or belts depending on how you tied them. I was very tempted to get one, especially when I noticed that they each had one or two unique metal pendants/charms sewn on. A nautical-themed version had a small anchor and a more summery one had a little lady bird. Oh, if only they had had one in pink or gray, I would have snapped one up instantly.

My partner in shopping, V. on the other hand was somewhat smitten by the skirts, which similar to the jackets and dresses were relatively simple except for their patterned seams and hemlines, giving a classic item a bit of a twist. Other goodies I saw included small pouches in retro designs, larger tote bags made of leather and fabric, little heart-shaped cushions and even a small selection of delicate jewelry.

The store itself is small and homey but allows plenty of space for browsing. Wooden floors and furniture, as well as decorations including Russian dolls, potted plants and still-life paintings gave everything a slightly girly touch.

All products are unique and made by hand in small production batches, so you're not bound to see too many other people wearing the same thing. Prices are affordable as well, ranging from 20 EUR for smaller scarves and hand warmers to 60 EUR for dresses. Believe it or not, both V. and I left the shop empty-handed, but have been unable to stop thinking about the items we saw. Something tells me we might be heading back very soon...

Address: Marktstraße 39, 20357 Hamburg
Opening Hrs: Mon-Fri: 12:00-19:00, Sat: 11:00-16:00
M39 Homepage